EBENEZER BREWSTER was born at Lebanon, son of WILLIAM and PATIENCE, and he had five siblings.

There is very little information presented in "The Brewster Genealogy" about EBENEZER and ELIZABETH other than scant information about their children together.

Although we know nothing more of the personal events of EBENEZER and ELIZABETH's life together, we did discover that theirs was not a happy union, when on the 23rd of March, 1739, ELIZABETH filed a petition for divorce from EBENEZER. From this petition, we learn that EBENEZER deserted his family in 1729, and she indicated that EBENEZER had broken his marriage covenant and had been "gone a full ten years last past..." indicating that he had deserted them in 1729. Their last child, ELIZABETH, was born March 7, 1728/29, so he may have left just after her birth or perhaps even before she was born. Seeing as ELIZABETH (DeWOLFE) BREWSTER waited ten years to file divorce, perhaps it was necessary to wait at least 10 years before one was eligible to file, or it took her that long to save up the money. At any rate, we do know that ELIZABETH's divorce was granted sometime before June 1740 because it was in that month and year that she married CALEB OWEN in Lebanon. She then gave birth to another son, CALEB OWEN JR., May 20, 1741, at Lebanon.

Petition for Divorce, Windham County, Connecticut:

"Elizabeth Brewster Petition 19

Elizabeth (DeWolfe) Brewster vs. Ebenezer Brewster 1739

To the Honorable Superior Court, Now Sitting at Windham In & for Said County of Windham this 23rd day of March AD 1739. The Petition of Elizabeth Brewster of Lebanon in Sd County of Windham, Humbly Sheweth. That Your Petitioner was married to one Ebenezer Brewster of Said Lebanon on the Thirteenth day of November AD 1721 and Lived With him for Sundry years Discharging the Duties of a Loving Wife to him, according to my Ability, till He most Injuriously to me & His Children which he had by me, wilfully Deserted & left us, and Ran away from us, and hath now Been Wilfully & wrongfully Separated and gone from me, full Ten Years Last past, Nor at all Minding or [Proguarding?] of his Marriage Covenant with me and totally Neglecting his Duty Towards me, Whereby He hath Broken the Marriage Covenant. Whereupon Your Poor Petitioner Prays that Your Honors would take her case aforesaid into your consideration & Thereupon Declare your Petitioner Discharged from her said Marriage Covenant with Sd Brewster, and that the same is Null & Void; and a Bill of Divorce be granted me from Him accordingly and your Petitioner as is Duty Bound, shall Ever Pray ye.

Dated in Windham this 23rd day of March AD 1739.

Elizabeth {her mark} Brewster"

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Proof of Marriage submitted with Petition for Divorce:

"Ebenezer Bruster & Elisabeth DeWolfe were married by Mr. Sam'll Welles November thirteenth 1721.

A true copy of Record taken out of the Church book of the First Church in Lebanon.

Solomon Williams, Pastor

Lebanon: March 17, 1738/9"

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Per Index to Divorce Records of Windham County (1726-1907), Part 1:

"Ebenezer Brewster & Elizabeth (DeWolf); 278."

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Petition and Proof of Marriage microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990.

Title: Divorce papers, 1726-1907. Authors: Connecticut. Superior Court (Windham County)

Microfilm of original records in the Connecticut State Library, Hartford.

Subject: Connecticut, Windham - Divorce records.

Film: Divorce papers Boulay-Burdick 1726-1907 - FHL US/CAN Film[1638586]

With the information presented in the petition for divorce, we can then begin to build a time line of EBENEZER's whereabouts after deserting his Connecticut family.  It appears that WILLIAM followed his brother EBENEZER in his wanderings.

• 1728: EBENEZER BRUSTAR of Mansfield is named in the settlement of the estate of his father.

• 1729: EBENEZER deserted his wife and family in Connecticut.

• 1730-1753: EBENEZER's sons COMFORT and EBENEZER were born, probably in Dutchess County, New York. Since we know that ELIZABETH didn't file for divorce until March of 1739, it is highly likely that EBENEZER simply "took a second wife" without actually having been married. If he actually went through a marriage ceremony with a second wife before March of 1739, he had committed bigamy. Either way, the children of this second union would have been born "out of wedlock" and would be considered "bastards."

• 1733: WILLIAM deserted his wife and family in Connecticut.

• 1739: ELIZABETH (DeWOLFE) BREWSTER filed her Petition for Divorce against EBENEZER.

• 1746/47: EBENEZER was "noted on a 17 March 1746/7 road description near lot 2 and the Oblong. He adjoined Nathan Birdsall's farm. [SBP 1:343]. He was taxed [in Beekman] from Feb. through June 1753 but had been taxed in the South[ern] Precinct from Feb. 1747/48 through June 1748. His assessments were ₤1 in both Southern and Beekman Precincts."

• 1747/48: EBENEZER BREWSTER was taxed in Southern Precinct, February 1747/48 through June 1748.

• 1753: EBENEZER BREWSTER was taxed in Beekman Feb - June 1753.

• 1754: WILLIAM removed from Dutchess County, New York, to Virginia. As EBENEZER was in the Oblong as early as 1746 and was taxed there through June 1753, as was WILLIAM, it is highly likely that both EBENEZER and WILLIAM removed to Virginia after June of 1753.

• 1755: General Bradick defeated in Virginia.

• 1757: WILLIAM and his family were run out of Virginia by Indians, and they returned to the Oblong in Dutchess Co., NY.

• 1761: EBENEZER of Frederick Co., VA, borrowed money from JOSIAH HULS[E] to purchase land in Hampshire Co., VA. NOTE: Hampshire Co, VA, was created in 1754 from Frederick & Augusta Counties. Hampshire County is now in WV.

• 1762: EBENEZER is mentioned in the Order Book of Frederick Co., VA, dated 7-SEP-1762.

• 1765 Land Grant - EBENEZER BRUSTER, 10 July 1765, Hampshire County, VA, 118 acres on the Potowmack River adjoining DANIEL OSBURN presented to EBENEZER BRUSTER of Frederick County. Northern Neck Grants M, 1762-1765, p. 416 (Reel 295). Original survey exists as Brewster. Land Grant found on Library of Virginia Website.

• 11-OCT-1765: EBENEZER BREWSTER of Frederick Co., VA, sold Hampshire Co., VA, land (118 acres on the Potomac River) to NICHOLAS MC INTYRE of Frederick Co. per "Early Records of Hampshire Co., VA", Sage and Janes/Jones, p. 5; Recorded 10-JUN-1766. Witnesses: Thomas Swearingen, Thomas Boydston, Thomas Wiggins Jr., Joseph Hastings.

• 1774: EBENEZER d. Fincastle Co., VA. A Fincastle Co. land entry referenced "EBENEZER BRUSTER, heir to EBENEZER BRUSTER, deceased."

WILLIAM, brother of EBENEZER, reported that he lived in the Oblong until 1754 when he removed to Virginia, and it is highly likely that he and EBENEZER and their families traveled there together. We know that WILLIAM returned from Virginia in 1757, and was still in Dutchess County, NY, in 1764. EBENEZER remained in Virginia and died there in 1774, leaving many descendants.

The Oblong: From "The Nickerson Family", Published by the Nickerson Family Association, 1973, LDS Film 0928159, Item 2, pp 34-35: "The Oblong was a strip of land two and one-half miles wide along the Connecticut border, which had been ceded by that state to New York in 1731 in exchange for lands along Long Island Sound. A guarantee of title and low prices for the land attracted young Cape Codders who had become dissatisfied with their prospects. A religious awakening and social upheaval extended over the Cape at the time. Settlers from Yarmouth, Harwich and other places occupied land in the Oblong as early as 1740, but there is no evidence that people from Chatham went until the "second emigration" in 1747. The Oblong adjoined the town of Ridgefield, Conn., and at the time was in Dutchess County, N.Y., (later Putnam County). Some of the villages of the Oblong were called Nine Partners, Pawling, Crumebow, Phillips Patent -- in New York, and New Milford, Sherman, New Fairfield -- in Connecticut."

Additonal information about EBENEZER may be found at https://www.angelfire.com/mi/brewsterlist/query16.html